Quote:
Originally Posted by =X=
Forever is such as strong word 
I have a PC running Linux since 1996. I never turn it off, its a 200MHZ Intel Celeron overclocked to 300MHz. It's gone through several hard drives, power supplies and a fan, several versions of Mandrake and finally using Ubuntu. But the PC is still used heavily without any fear of obsolescence.
In PC world I believe it's approaching forever  .
Linux OS tends to support older hardware better than any OS, what it does not handle well is bleeding edge hardware or specialized hardware, this is where windows is just better supported.
Ubuntu works best with 512MB RAM and 1.2GHZ processer for anything less I'd recommend Xbuntu.
=X= |
I access an accounting software which still runs on an 8088 IBM XT PC, with two 360kB floppy drive, 640kB RAM, 10MB HDD, monochrome green display (no graphic card, of course, just text), and a barcode reader attached to one of the two parallel ports (the second is used by an IBM proprinter).
It'll make 20 years this autumn.
It just performs its task. And there's no need at all to change it.
I think that's closer to "forever".
But I don't know if it will actually make 20: the shop using it is closing.